A spokesman for Marwan Barghouti said Friday that the jailed Palestinian leader had decided not to run for president of the Palestinian Authority after all and would back the nominee of his Fatah faction, Mahmoud Abbas. The announcement, made on Barghouti's behalf at a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah, came a day after associates said Barghouti was determined to seek the presidency, left vacant by the Nov. 11 death of Yasser Arafat.

Images of the lanky soldier with dark eyes have haunted Israel for five years, but Gilad Shalit may finally be heading home. Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas announced an agreement Tuesday to free Shalit, who was seized in 2006 in a cross-border raid near the Gaza Strip, in exchange for the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. The Israeli soldier's capture pushed Israel to tighten a punishing blockade around the seaside enclave, where 1.5 million Palestinians continue to grapple with widespread poverty.

He's jailed, isolated and on trial for terrorism, but Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti still holds sway over turbulent Palestinian politics. Last week, Israel's most famous Palestinian prisoner reached beyond his cell to craft a fragile truce. Now, his fate could be an early measure of whether that peace will stick or fail.

Less than two weeks after declaring his candidacy, imprisoned uprising leader Marwan Barghouti has abandoned his bid to become Palestinian Authority president in the Jan. 9 election, his campaign manager said Sunday. The move appears to clear the way for Mahmoud Abbas, the new chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the official candidate of its dominant Fatah faction, to succeed the late Yasser Arafat as Palestinian Authority president.

Re "Trial of Palestinian Plays to World Jury," Aug. 15: According to your reporter, alleged Palestinian terrorist and mass murderer Marwan Barghouti "claims he has been held in solitary confinement for nearly 100 days, subjected to intense interrogation while forced to sit in a cramped position and deprived of sleep." Poor baby! Would that the victims were that lucky. Roberta and Joe Gillerman Los Angeles

Images of the lanky soldier with dark eyes have haunted Israel for five years, but Gilad Shalit may finally be heading home. Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas announced an agreement Tuesday to free Shalit, who was seized in 2006 in a cross-border raid near the Gaza Strip, in exchange for the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. The Israeli soldier's capture pushed Israel to tighten a punishing blockade around the seaside enclave, where 1.5 million Palestinians continue to grapple with widespread poverty.

Less than two weeks after declaring his candidacy, imprisoned uprising leader Marwan Barghouti has abandoned his bid to become Palestinian Authority president in the Jan. 9 election, his campaign manager said Sunday. The move appears to clear the way for Mahmoud Abbas, the new chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the official candidate of its dominant Fatah faction, to succeed the late Yasser Arafat as Palestinian Authority president.

An Israeli court sent popular Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti to prison for life Sunday for his role in deadly attacks on Israelis, sidelining a possible successor to Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. Barghouti was given five consecutive life terms and 40 years -- the maximum sentence -- after he was convicted last month of involvement in shootings that killed four Israelis and a Greek monk. The ruling said Barghouti was "involved up to his neck in terror activity."

In another change of course, the wife of jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti filed papers Wednesday night registering him as a candidate for president of the Palestinian Authority. The move -- following declarations last week that Barghouti would run, then that he would not -- adds a wild card element to a race that was expected to be dominated by Mahmoud Abbas, the new chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti has decided to run for the post of Palestinian Authority president in Jan. 9 elections, his associates said Thursday, a move that could pose a major challenge to the traditional leadership. Barghouti has decided to seek the top Palestinian post, said Saad Nimr, who heads a campaign seeking Barghouti's release from Israeli prison, where he is serving multiple life terms. Nimr said Barghouti would issue a formal statement today.

In another change of course, the wife of jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti filed papers Wednesday night registering him as a candidate for president of the Palestinian Authority. The move -- following declarations last week that Barghouti would run, then that he would not -- adds a wild card element to a race that was expected to be dominated by Mahmoud Abbas, the new chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

A spokesman for Marwan Barghouti said Friday that the jailed Palestinian leader had decided not to run for president of the Palestinian Authority after all and would back the nominee of his Fatah faction, Mahmoud Abbas. The announcement, made on Barghouti's behalf at a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah, came a day after associates said Barghouti was determined to seek the presidency, left vacant by the Nov. 11 death of Yasser Arafat.

Imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti has decided to run for the post of Palestinian Authority president in Jan. 9 elections, his associates said Thursday, a move that could pose a major challenge to the traditional leadership. Barghouti has decided to seek the top Palestinian post, said Saad Nimr, who heads a campaign seeking Barghouti's release from Israeli prison, where he is serving multiple life terms. Nimr said Barghouti would issue a formal statement today.

An Israeli court sent popular Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti to prison for life Sunday for his role in deadly attacks on Israelis, sidelining a possible successor to Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. Barghouti was given five consecutive life terms and 40 years -- the maximum sentence -- after he was convicted last month of involvement in shootings that killed four Israelis and a Greek monk. The ruling said Barghouti was "involved up to his neck in terror activity."

He's jailed, isolated and on trial for terrorism, but Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti still holds sway over turbulent Palestinian politics. Last week, Israel's most famous Palestinian prisoner reached beyond his cell to craft a fragile truce. Now, his fate could be an early measure of whether that peace will stick or fail.

Re "Trial of Palestinian Plays to World Jury," Aug. 15: According to your reporter, alleged Palestinian terrorist and mass murderer Marwan Barghouti "claims he has been held in solitary confinement for nearly 100 days, subjected to intense interrogation while forced to sit in a cramped position and deprived of sleep." Poor baby! Would that the victims were that lucky. Roberta and Joe Gillerman Los Angeles

If there were any doubts that the mass-murder trial of Marwan Barghouti is aimed at multiple audiences, the fiery Palestinian leader dispelled them in no time. Speaking in Arabic, Hebrew and English, Barghouti on Wednesday made his first public appearance in four months and defiantly told prosecutors, and the world, that the Palestinian uprising will live on. So began the first trial of a senior Palestinian militant in nearly two years of raging conflict.

Israeli special forces arrested Marwan Barghouti, the leader of Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction and the man Israel holds responsible for dozens of deadly attacks on Israelis, in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Monday. Barghouti is the highest-ranking official arrested during Israel's 18-day military assault on Palestinian towns and villages. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has said the campaign is meant to crush Palestinian militias, praised the arrest and said Barghouti will be put on trial.

If there were any doubts that the mass-murder trial of Marwan Barghouti is aimed at multiple audiences, the fiery Palestinian leader dispelled them in no time. Speaking in Arabic, Hebrew and English, Barghouti on Wednesday made his first public appearance in four months and defiantly told prosecutors, and the world, that the Palestinian uprising will live on. So began the first trial of a senior Palestinian militant in nearly two years of raging conflict.

Israeli special forces arrested Marwan Barghouti, the leader of Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction and the man Israel holds responsible for dozens of deadly attacks on Israelis, in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Monday. Barghouti is the highest-ranking official arrested during Israel's 18-day military assault on Palestinian towns and villages. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has said the campaign is meant to crush Palestinian militias, praised the arrest and said Barghouti will be put on trial.